Succulents and More™

Sometimes it seems not much is happening, but when I look at my photos, I realize there’s more going on than I give the garden, the plants, and myself credit for. On that note, another “This and that” post with random sightings that I hope you’ll find interesting. BROMELIAD FLOWERS I’ve lost most of the tags on my bromeliads so I can’t tell you what these are, other than Neoregelia and Billbergia , but the flowers are cool because they’re so different from the other kinds of flowers I usually see. Many neoregelias produce a flush of color in the center just before they start to bloom The flowers themselves are tiny and barely emerge from the cup. The leaves blush in vibrant colors to attract pollinators, which might otherwise have a hard time finding the inconspicuous flowers. In contrast to neoregelias, billbergia flowers are highly visible They emerge from the center on a long stem and feature colorful petals (red in this case) and bracts (greenish yellow, pink, and purple on this o...

When my frequent partner-in-crime Kyle and I were in Santa Barbara at the very end of January , we had the opportunity to visit San Marcos Growers (SMG), arguably the most extraordinary wholesale nursery in California, for what we thought was one last time. After 46 years in operation, SMG had closed its gates on December 23, 2025; the 23-acre property had been sold to be developed for affordable housing. (If you’re interested in learning more about SMG, its history, and its legacy, read my post from February.) I found two Google Earth/Google Streets images that show the nursery prior to August 2025 when they were still in full operation. The shade houses and growing grounds on the far side of San Marcos Road were still very much there: Prior to August 2025: shade houses and growing area on the far side of San Marcos Road still there The area with the shade houses was the first to be torn down. In November 2025 it looked like this: November 2025: area cleared for construction Ignore ...